I have stopped going to Gold’s Gym because of two things. 1) is the abundance of idiots they’re training, asking for help (which I love to help) do weights they couldn’t do in this lift time. The second reason is it’s co-ed… I personally cannot lift weights when there are girls there because I bust my balls just trying to be weights infront of them and I have the occasional glance and I feel I don’t want them to be uncomfortable as well.
So what I did was buy the things I need and keep adding things to my personal gym (Bench, 2 olympic bars, power rack, dip station, ez curl bar and 300+ pounds in weights) so I could do this at home… Well I’ve been doing this for sometime and it’s been kinda lonely, all I have is my music and myself and I’ve invited all my friends (the ones that said they need to get into shape and they would come over) but they are pretty much no shows.
I was wondering if anyone was in my same perdicament and what you do? Or does it just get worse with time and do I need to get back into the gym. I do not miss those idiots that need me to row weight off their chest on the bench press, but I do enjoy company from time to time to work out with, get me pumped, spot.
I understand your viewpoint but I am a commercial gym person all the way. I go to a neighborhood, family owned gym maybe 5 minutes drive from my place. The people are like family, since I work there as well. The people asking for help and the idiots do get annoying from time to time, but I would hate a lot more the expense, and maintenance, and used space and the lost friendships of not having a commercial gym to use. Maybe you should check out another gym, I was a golds member for a while, and didn’t like it.
I prefer commercial\go to the gym every time. Why? For me at least, it keeps me motivated.
I used to work out at home, but it’s just not the same as going to the gym, getting into the atmposphere, and not having to worry about maintaining equipment, etc. I know a lot of guys that prefer to work out at home, but I find it hard to stick with it in my basement or the garage.
lifting partners are a bitch to find. all of my friends started lifting with me, within 6 months they were all gone. now they kinda hate on me because i actually stuck it out. they were making great gains too, but then they just stopped. it’s a cycle with one of my friends. this would be his third time around. he makes great gains, then goes back to drinking and partying. then back to lifting then back to drinking.i wonder if it will ever stop. what did this have to do with the topic? ooops, carry on.
I was in same boat, And I have done the same(built home gym, But Working out to me is methodical and when I train I prefer to be alone with my ipod. However like you sometimes I wish someone was there to spot so I pull my wife in to work with me a couple days a week.
That helps cause she is alot of fun to hang with.
Maybe you have a Girlfriend or a wife?
FF
I work at home. I have an adjustable bench (with attachments for leg curl/extension and preacher curl), power rack with high/low pulley (plate loaded)with several different attachments, adjustable dumbbells, two olympic bars, one standard, two ez curl bars (one olympic, one std), adjustable standard dumbbells, over 600lbs in plates. Oh yeah, and one jump rope. I have a dedicated, finished room in the basement with great lighting, a fridge and stereo.
I’m working on getting a pullup/dip station. I have a ceiling mounted bar and a door-frame dipper, but I haven’t been able to use these since my basement was finished last summer.
I have lifted alone for most of my life and I love it. I have belonged to various gyms in the past. I realize there are several advantages to the gyms, but I find it easier to walk down a flight of stairs and get in a workout than to drive for 15 minutes and deal with a bunch of numbskulls and wait for equipment.
I also like being able to bang out a set of OH squats, front squats, mil. press or power cleans, whatever, every time I walk past the room or go into my garage for something (I have the standard bar and a modest amount of weight loaded on it at all times).
I also get my kids into the weight room every so often on weekends.
My gym and my office are both crammed into a small room in the basement. Not the best atmosphere, but given how I feel about the jokers at commercial gyms, I’ll take the cramped quarters any day.
Like many others, I’ve seen friends come and go as training partners. They moan about how they need to get in shape, then disappear after a couple months. Even if they end up with a half hour program, twice a week, it’s too much time for them.
One guy I know who’s about 70 lbs overweight now claims he doesn’t want to engage in heavy lifting because he’s afraid of getting “too big”. I bit my tongue on that one. His father’s gone through a list of brutal health problems over the last couple years, each one of which can be traced back to a life of poor nutrition and lack of exercise. My friend is, unfortunately, headed the same way.
Is it hard motivating yourself to lift sometimes? Hell, yes. You summon the mental fortitude and push through on those days. Make it a habit, and it will stick. You’ve just got to push through the tougher days.
They don’t have sandbags in the gym, nor do many gyms allow oly lifts.
I work out at my own pace, asking no one to work in, listening to my own music. My home gym is a temple and I love that room. When I enter it, I know I’m getting down to business.
I go to a commercial gym. The only thing I don’t like is when it gets really busy.
Other than that, it can get a bit awkward never talking to anyone but seem them several times a week for years at a time.
However, it’s a ritual, driving there with the tunes cranked, getting out of the house, perhaps picking up groceries or crap on the way home.
It’s also motivating, as there are some large and strong people at the gym, and seeing someone else who is excelling in some way is motivating. It helps stop the mirror from playing tricks with your ego.
I work out at home as well, I could never go back to the hell they call commercial gyms. I can’t stand going to them when I travel.
Training partners can be hard to find, but if you keep looking and lifting, you can find some eventually. Go recruit from the same gym, there are probably other dudes sick of all the fucktards as well.
[quote]Northcott wrote:
One guy I know who’s about 70 lbs overweight now claims he doesn’t want to engage in heavy lifting because he’s afraid of getting “too big”. I bit my tongue on that one. His father’s gone through a list of brutal health problems over the last couple years, each one of which can be traced back to a life of poor nutrition and lack of exercise. My friend is, unfortunately, headed the same way.[/quote]
Yes this is what I’m talking about… I have a ton of friends that now see the improvement and shape I’m in (went from 205lbs to 155lbs 9% body fat and my strength has sky rocketed and they all want the same. Unfortuntely they usually only come on ‘arms’ day and sit their doing curls, bench and push-ups. I’m currently doing the Waterbury Method and I LOVE IT, but they won’t indugle on the ‘legs, back, shoulders’ part of the session. But 9/10 times they don’t ever show up.
As far as getting movtivated, I really don’t need it. I get in their bust my ass for 1hour and 10 minutes usually and workout like their is no tomorrow. It’s more of the I enjoy peoples company type of things or someone to spot me when I need it occasionally (on bench). It’s just that’s probaly the ONLY thing I enjoyed at Gold’s, was the occasional convo on the way to the water fountain.
I’m curious what gyms you guys go to, because mine really isn’t as bad. I have done the whole golds, ballys, and all that before and hated it. But when I joined the club that I now work for, all of that changed for me. Now im pretty happy seeing the people everyday, I made lots of good friends in the gym, and I found both my training partners here as well.
I do love my pre-workout routine. Supplement, jack up the music in the house, get dressed, get in the car and drive the 5 minutes to workout and walk into my office, set the bag down, put gloves on and get to work. Without it I dont think lifting for me would be the same.
[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
I’m curious what gyms you guys go to, because mine really isn’t as bad. I have done the whole golds, ballys, and all that before and hated it. But when I joined the club that I now work for, all of that changed for me. Now im pretty happy seeing the people everyday, I made lots of good friends in the gym, and I found both my training partners here as well.
I do love my pre-workout routine. Supplement, jack up the music in the house, get dressed, get in the car and drive the 5 minutes to workout and walk into my office, set the bag down, put gloves on and get to work. Without it I dont think lifting for me would be the same. [/quote]
I lifted at home for a while but recently began to lift at a gym again. I’m really liking it, then again its a “closed” gym that there is no staff or anything just a bunch of equipment. Not very busy.Usually no more than 6 people in there at a time even at the peak times of the day.
I like to lift at home, but then I have plenty of equipment. The convenience and lack of distractions is great. Not having to fight traffic is so worth it.
Everyone here seems to go to the suckiest damn gyms possible. There aren’t any other gym options where yall are?
When I go to my gym, I am almost guaranteed to see a few people doing Olympic lifts. There’s a dedicated platform and bumper plates and no beef with dropped the bar. If the power racks are being bogarted, there are no curlers in sight-- just competitive powerlifters who are doing lifts that are sometimes twice my PR. If you are into chains or bands, those are available. Same with a thick bar and lots of chalk. The cool thing is that the same place also has an aerobics room and lots of cardio and stuff like that, but it’s somewhat apart so it’s a cool atmosphere for everyone.
The only place I’ve lifted outside of there is my university’s gym, which had its share of lame dudes but where it was pretty easy to learn the Oly lifts by watching school athletes using the platforms.
I’ve never seen half of the bizarre behavior yall have. No squat rack curlers or bizarre abuses of Swiss balls.
[quote]blue9steel wrote:
I like to lift at home, but then I have plenty of equipment. The convenience and lack of distractions is great. Not having to fight traffic is so worth it.[/quote]
